myFM News presents ‘Ask a Cop’, brought to you by Mighty Green Cleaners.
Listeners submitted questions for Halton Police Constable Ryan Anderson.
A resident asked about how officers look for marijuana use in impaired drivers. While officers can assess a driver’s impairment from alcohol through breathalyzers, Anderson says THC isn’t as easily found in the system as alcohol. That’s why they use different methods to test for it.
He adds that if the motorist fails the SFST, they are then brought to the station for another test by a specially trained officer. This officer will administer a drug recognition exam. If the driver fails these tests, they will be charged. Constable Anderson says they may then demand a urine test to find which drugs the motorist is impaired with.
Regarding possession, officers will look at volume. For marijuana, it is a legal substance, but there is a limit to how much someone can carry under the Cannabis Control Act. Constable Anderson says that the amount that a driver has would not come into play when looking for impairment. That’s because it’s not indicative of a driver having taken any of the drug that they may possess. He compares it to a driver having alcohol in the trunk of their car – just because they have alcohol in the car doesn’t mean they have had any alcohol before or while driving.
However, there is an issue with drugs and/or alcohol being readily available to the driver. Open bottles and burned marijuana would also likely lead to testing.
Another listener asked about license plates. They wanted to know what qualifies a license plate as unreadable. Newer white Ontario license plates have a tendency to peel, while the blue plates were discontinued because of how much shine they gave off. There is also the issue of mud and/or snow affecting how visible a license plate can be.
Regarding the white Ontario plates, Constable Anderson says that while a peeling plate is a manufacturing issue, if you don’t get it replaced, you could get a ticket.
He adds that it’s not just important for the police to see the plates, but other residents too. It’s often members of the public reporting vehicle plates during cases of crime.
If your license plate has peeled to the point of it being unreadable, you will likely qualify for a free replacement. Learn more here.
While the blue Ontario plates have been discontinued, drivers will not get a ticket for having one on their vehicle as they are still currently valid.
‘Ask a Cop’ will return next week with more of your questions being answered.
You can also read past ‘Ask a Cop’ segments:
- How fast is too fast? Speeding and snow covered on ‘Ask a Cop’
- Protests, spot checks, and skating on Mill Pond covered on ‘Ask a Cop’
- How safe is Halton? How do you become a Detective? Questions answered on ‘Ask a Cop’
- Hate crimes and rewards: Your questions answered on ‘Ask a Cop’
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